1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system having an integrated wireline-wireless system (IWWS) architecture. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for integrating billing capabilities in the IWWS.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent efforts to expand wireless communication and to import wireline features and performance into wireless communication systems have resulted in dramatic changes to network architecture. An IWWS has been proposed in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/942,895, filed Oct. 2, 1997 (Attorney Docket No. STA.001), which is incorporated herein by reference.
The proposed IWWS provides an architecture which does not require a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), but which effectively uses existing wireline switching equipment and capabilities to provide integrated wireless/wireline services to wireless users. The resulting "meld" of wireless communication system components with wireline network components offers many commercial and technical advantages to service providers. For example, the IWWS architecture allows service providers to reduce network equipment purchases, to lower maintenance costs, and to simplify equipment integration. In fact, service providers offering wireline and wireless services have the option of leveraging existing wireline capabilities, without recourse to a separately procured MSC, to effect lower cost wireless service.
Historically, wireline and wireless sections of a network, integrated or otherwise, have respectively collected separate billing data and produced separate billing records. Each wireless call within the network was allocated a unique identifier common to the wireline and wireless billing records. This identifier was subsequently used to merge wireline and wireless billing records. Several investigations have considered the problem of allocating the identifier, and the problem of communicating the identifier between the wireless and wireline sections.
The term "call," as used herein, refers broadly to PCS, fax, and other data exchanges, as well as voice data exchanges. The term "communicat[ing]" refers to a broad class of information exchanges between network sections and elements. Communication may be made via hardware and/or open air interfaces, and may involve complex, bi-directional hand-shaking as is commonly understood in the telecommunications field.
In addition to the wireless call identifier, other mechanisms and methodologies have been proposed to allow downstream merging of the wireless and wireline billing records. At a minimum, such "post-processing" requires a significant extra step with its associated time and cost. More commonly, the post-processing of separately acquired wireless and wireline billing data requires the development and maintenance of hardware and software to perform the merging function.